Wichita eagle., 1887-07-21
LINCOLN AND BUCHANAN.
HOW THE DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT
LISTENED TO DAN E. SIcKIES.

A Singular Incident Connected with
Lincoln's First Inaugural Seward 9
Embarrassing Position at the Capital.
At the New Presidents Side.
After Lincoln arrived in Washington in
disguise q few days before his inauguration
he was taken to the Capitol by Seward, who,
it was known, was to be his secretary of
state. When the historic pair entered the
hall of the house Of representatives the Re
publican members of course went ND and
were presented to the president elect, who
had been personally known to very few Of
them. But no southern or northern Demo
crat approached them. Sickles was junior
member and did not feel entitled to lead in
any movement of this sort, but when he no
ticed that no more important person Of his
party stirred he turned to s. S. Cox, who sat
near him. rs it proper to pay our respects to
the president elect" he said; awiIl YOU 60 I'D
with me! No one else on our side leads. n
Cox consented. and the two went forward.
and Seward presented them to Lincoln. Then
number Of other Democrats followed their
example.
This incident made Seward feel kindly to-
ward Sickles, and he asked the member from
New York TO call at his house; he had some
thing to say to him. The same night Sickles
paid the visit, and Seward then read him
several passages from Lincolns inaugural
speech, already prepared. The tone Of that
document was much more moderate than was
expected as those who knew those times viii
remember. It promised no interference with
slavery If the southerners remained in the
Union or returned to it, and was universally
pronounced paciicatory and statesmanlike,
instead of warlike or exasperating. Sickles
was struck with its character, and asked il
he might inform the president of what he had
learned Il thought you would be up, to
something like that" said Seward, and he
did not prohibit the repetition. Of course,
upon leaving the house, Sicl1les went direct
to the president with his news. But Bu-
chanan at first pooh hoohed him: do you
believe that Lincoln will say anything ike
that? Seward has been making game of
you"
sEwARD'S EMBARRASSMENT.
But Sickies then told the president of the
peculiar terms on which he stood with Sew
ard. The New York senator was at that
time virtually ostracised in Democratic So
tICtJ, huiSh Etio SAfC SDtlStN VI
Washington. No southern persons invited
him TO their houses, and when some of his
constituents had asked him for invitations to
a ball at Mrs Shdel's, or Mrs. OWNS, or at
the house of some other important south
erner, Seward had told Sickles of his embar-
rassment The Democratic member was in
innate at these very houses because of his
politics and his place in the presidents favor,
As well as his own graces, and he instantly
offered to procure the invitations Seward
at first accepted the favors, but then declined
them for he said he could not obtain invita-
tions for one and not for another, and he
would be obliged to explain his disagreeable
social position. But Sickles offered in any
case where he was sufficiently intimate to
continue his applications, and Seward, of
course, was especially obliged
Sickles told all this to the president, who
agreed with him that it would be impossible
for Seward to make dupe of Sickles for any
political purpose But" asked Buchanan.
''did he know that YOU would tell me!n Then
Sickles recounted the adrot reply of Seward
to hisDwn inquiry and Buchanan came to the
conclusion that the message was in reality
meant for himself. 1t was a continuance to
let him know that the tone of Lincoln,s in
aHgural was to be much more moderate than
violent partisans on either side expected or
desired He said at once: "This is different
from what l supposed. 1t is wise and pa
triotic. will go to the inauguration, which
had not intended to do.n
He kept his word. There Were rumors and
threats and possibilities of danger to Lincoln
and to any one who stood near him when he
was inaugurated, but Buchanan accompanied
him to the Capitol and stood by his side while
the inaugural speech was delivered, and
when Lincoln repeated the passages that
Sickles had disclosed, the retiring president
looked around with his cross eye at his young
friend and pressed his hand "'Thank God"
he said, that means peace. Adam Badeau
in Chicago Herald